1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus, a data processing system, a control method for the communication apparatus, a control method for the data processing system, and a program therefor that are applied to a case of restricting use of data in accordance with a distribution status when distributing data to a plurality of apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
Systems are already known which make use of peer-to-peer (hereunder, referred to as “P2P”) communication technology in which a plurality of apparatuses connected to a network are in a equivalent relationship to enable the apparatuses to distribute firmware or resources to each other (for example, see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2006-178751). By utilizing this technology it is possible to perform en-bloc updating of firmware or data such as font data of a plurality of apparatuses connected to a closed network such as an intranet. Consequently, work to update firmware and the like can be performed without a network administrator or service representative going around to individual apparatuses.
As a different technology to the foregoing, the following server/client type system is also known. More specifically, the system is one in which each client periodically checks the version of resources or firmware stored on a server, and downloads firmware or resources from the server as necessary.
However, according to the above described prior arts, when operations using the relevant firmware are restarted in order from apparatuses at which updating of the firmware is completed while in the middle of updating the firmware of a plurality of apparatuses, there is a possibility that the following kinds of adverse effects will arise.
As a specific example, in a case in which firmware that changes a logic for color correction, e.g. calibration logic is being distributed to a plurality of apparatuses, if apparatuses that have a different calibration logic are mixed, there is a possibility that the tints of the respective apparatuses will vary.
A similar problem to that of firmware distribution also arises when distributing font data. More specifically, a case can be considered in which apparatuses with differing font data are mixed, and consequently a printing result will differ at respective apparatus.
The situation is the same with respect to dedicated application programs (hereunder, referred to simply as “applications”) that operate on an apparatus. As a specific example, a case is assumed of using a dedicated application that counts and analyzes charge information in accordance with a number of print sheets for a plurality of apparatuses that are connected to a closed network. In this case, when different versions of the application are running at the same time, there is a possibility that differences will arise in the charge results.
Restricting use of the new firmware or application program until a prescribed time may be considered as a method to prevent differing firmware versions or differing versions of application programs being mixed among a plurality of apparatuses.
In that case, however, there is the problem that even though new firmware has been received by an apparatus, the apparatus cannot restart with the new firmware until a prescribed time. Further, unless updating of the firmware at all of the apparatuses is completed by the prescribed time, it is not possible to avoid the above described problem caused by mixing different versions of firmware (in the case of image forming apparatuses, the problem relates to variations among tints).
To avoid this situation, it is necessary to set the prescribed time with adequate leeway with regard to the time required by a plurality of apparatuses to update firmware. More specifically, according to the prior arts, unless a sufficient amount of time has elapsed since the start of firmware distribution, the new firmware cannot be used.